Load supporting means



April 11, 1961 R. F. BISHOP ETAL 2,979,221

LOAD SUPPORTING MEANS Filed April 22, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n l4 l4 FIG.

FIG. 2

INVENTORS Hana/d F 19 Stan/ey Zz'zf/e ATTORNEYS April 11, 1961 FiledApril 22, 1958 R. F. BISHOP ETAL 2,979,221

LOAD SUPPORTING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS FIG. 4

I N VEN TORS Rana/a E Bis/2 Stan/ey [1' zf/e ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent LOAD SUPPORTING MEANS Filed Apr. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 730,160

Claims. (Cl. 220-15) In a vessel containing a heavy internal structureand subject to considerable changes of temperature, there may arisedifferences of temperature between the internal structure and the vesselwhich will cause the internal structure to expand or contract at adifferent rate from the vessel. The same effect may be produced withoutany difference in temperature, by expansion or contraction of the vesseldue to changes in the internal pressure.

This invention provides new or improved means for so supporting aninternal load within a vessel that such differential expansion andcontraction will be accommodated without increase of stress.

The invention comprises a vessel having an internal structure supportedfrom the shell of the vessel by a plurality of members spaced around theperiphery of the internal structure, each of these support members beingcapable of pivotal movement as a whole in a radial vertical planerelative both to the internal structure and to the shell, but beingrestrained against such pivotal movement in the vertical plane at rightangles to that vertical plane.

More specifically, the invention comprises a vessel having an internalstructure in the form of a substantially circular and horizontal loadcarrying platform disposed within and spaced from the shell of thevessel, the platform resting on the upper ends of support members whichrest at their lower ends upon surfaces fast to the shell, the supportmembers being distributed around the centre of the platform and eachhaving its upper and lower end surfaces shaped as parts of a cylinderwhose axis is disposed horizontally and perpendicular to the radius ofthe platform which passes through that support member.

A particular form of support means in accordance with the presentinvention is shown in the accompanying drawing and described below byway of example. It will be understood that this particular constructionmay be varied in many ways within the scope of the invention, as definedin the appended claims, and in particular that the dimensions stated areintended by way of illustration only. In the drawing, Figure 1' is aside view, partly in section, of a vessel provided with internal loadsupporting means in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a partialvertical radial section taken along the line IIII of Figure 1 throughpart of the wall of a vessel, showing a single set of internal loadsupporting means; Figure 3 is an elevation of the internal parts shownin Figure 2, looking from the right of that figure; and Figure 4 is aplan view of the supporting means with some parts removed. v,

Referring to the drawing and initially to Figure 1 thereof, a largevessel having a spherical wall 1, contains a circular, horizontallydisposed platform 2, measuring some 40 feet in diameter and serving tosupport a load indicated at 20. The perimeter of this platform issupported upon the horizontal upper surfaces of twenty equally spacedbrackets 3 secured to the inner surface of the vessel wall, a rollerstructure 13 as described below being interposed between each bracketand the platform to allow relative radial movement between those parts.From the internal brackets 3, the load is transmitted through the wallof the vessel to correspondingly positioned external brackets 14. Thehorizontal bottom surfaces of brackets 14 rest on the upper end of tencolumns 15, each having the form of an inverted A. The inner ends of thecolumns rest on a horizontal foundation 16. The top and bottom endsurfaces of columns 15 are cylindrically curved, so as to permit eachcolumn to rock in a vertical radial plane, thus allowing expansion orcontraction of the vessel, while preventing any bodily movement thereof.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 4, each roller structure 13 comprises apair of horizontal rectangular top and bottom bearing plates, 4 and 5,one inch thick, which during installation of the structure are heldspaced by a inch plate sheath 6 extending all round the bearing platesand secured by set screws 7 to their edges. The facing surfaces of thebearing plates are each formed with two grooves 8 extending across thewidth of the plates and each /2 inch deep and rather more than 12 incheswide. The grooves are directed radially of the vessel, so that theydiverge from one another at a small angle. Between the bearing platesare disposed six roller support members 9,

each 12 inches in length, 15 inches in height and 4 inches in (radial)thickness. The top and bottom surfaces of these support members arecurved so as to form parts of cylinders 15 inches in diameter, theremaining faces being vertical. The roller support members are arrangedin two groups of three, the members of each group being disposed betweenand engaged in one of the pairs of superimposed radial grooves 8, theaxes of the cylindrical surfaces being horizontal and perpendicular tothe radial line of the grooves. The three rollers of each group are heldspaced /2 inch apart from one another by a pair of end plates 10 securedto the rollers by bolts 11 disposed on the axes of the rollers andallowing them to rock relative to the end plates. Location of therollers in a radial direction is effected by a pair of pegs 12, formedon the upper surface of one roller only of each group, and fittingloosely within recesses in the top bearing plate 4.

The bottom bearing plate 5 is bolted to the upper surface of the bracket3 on the vessel Wall and the top bearing plate 4 is bolted to theperimeter girder of the loadsupporting platform 2. After assembly, theset screws 7 securing the sheath 6 to the lower bearing plate 5 areremoved, so that the load is taken by the rollers 9. In use, expansionor contraction of the load-supporting platform 2 relative to the vessel1 is freely permitted, the roller supports 13 distributed around theperiphery of the platform rocking outwardly or inwardly, but no bodilymovement of the platform as a whole is possible.

We claim:

1. A vessel comprising an enclosing shell carrying im wardly projectingbrackets, vertical support members which rest at their lower ends on theupper ends of said brackets, and a substantially circular horizontalload carrying platform disposed within and spaced from said shell, saidplatform resting on the upper ends of said support members, which arearranged in groups symmetrically spaced around the center of theplatform, the members of each group being disposed closely adjacent oneanother along the same radius of said platform and each support memberhaving its upper and lower end surfaces shaped as parts ofa cylinder theaxis of which is disposed horizontally and perpendicular to said radius.

2. A vessel as claimed in claim 1 in which said shell .carries outwardlyprojecting brackets registering with said inwardly projecting bracketsand said shell is supported on said outwardly projecting brackets.

3. A vessel in accordance with claim 1 in which the support members ofeach group are maintained in ra- 3 dially spaced relation by end memberspivotally connected to each support member on the cylindrical axis ofthat member.

4. A vessel in accordance with claim 3 in which the of the platform andshell, and the support members engaged between each pair of bearingplates are surrounded by a removable sheath temporarily secured betweensaid bearing plates to hold the plates and support members supportmembers of each group have their upper and 5 together during assembly.

lower ends engaged in a pair of radially extending grooves formed inopposed bearing plates one of which plates is fast to the platform andthe other of which plates is fast to the one of said brackets.

5. A vessel in accordance with claim 4 in which the bearing plates areformed separately from the remainder References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,634,084 Ruths June 23, 19272,460,355 Kornemann Feb. 1, 1949 2,706,575 Soherr Apr. 19, 1955

